Being spied on by your insurance company might seem like something straight out of the pages of 1984, but the risk is very real. Of course, there’s no guarantee that your insurer will spy on you, and if your claim is relatively small, the risk is, too. No matter what, though, you need to behave as if you are being watched – just in case you are.
Why Insurance Companies Spy
The reason behind insurance company spy endeavors is pretty simple: the insurer’s job is to minimize the money it loses on car accident claims. If your insurer can prove you’re faking your injuries, or even just make it look like you’re faking, then that’s less money it has to spend on your claim. A small percentage of insurance claimants do fake or exaggerate their injuries, and you can thank them – in conjunction with the insurance company’s profit motive – for the tendency to spy on innocent claimants.
How They Spy
Your insurance company is not the police, which means its options for spying on you are pretty limited. Most spying, in fact, is not underhanded or the result of impressive reconnaissance tactics. Instead, insurers review the information you make readily available. They may do this by:
- Reviewing your social networking profiles and posts, including Facebook and Twitter.
- Examining your medical history to ensure your doctor’s visits line up with the injuries you claim.
- Calling witnesses who can testify to the fact that you’re less disabled than you appear.
- Asking your employer about your work history or whether you seem sick at work.
- Hiring investigators to follow you when you are out in public.
What You Can Do
The simplest way you can avoid the challenges that coincide with an insurance company spying is to be honest. Give accurate information about your claim, without exaggerating the extent of your injuries. Then act the way you feel. Don’t push yourself to go back to work too early, and don’t underestimate the severity of your injuries when you talk to loved ones.
Whatever you do, never talk about your claim on social media, particularly if you’re doing so to talk about the money you’re going to get. In fact, the best strategy is to password-protect your social media accounts so that only people you trust can see them.
Rarely, insurance companies cross the line with their spying tactics. If you feel like you’re being harassed or unfairly targeted, your attorney can help you sort it out. Your insurer can only review information that’s publicly available or that you give them, and if they go farther than this, you may have an additional claim.
If you find yourself in these circumstances or simply need the advice of an experienced personal injury attorney, contact McDivitt Law Firm for a FREE consultation.
